Although Gov. Rick Perry has used up a lot of minutes in a slew of recent calls to GOP bigwigs in Iowa and New Hampshire, the presidential could-be candidate is getting some payoff in positive responses and even encouragement to join the 2012 race.

New Hampshire House speaker Bill O’Brien reportedly gave Perry the green light to throw his hat in the ring. O’Brien clarified his advice was not an endorsement — “I’m not going to endorse anyone until late in the game,” he told political columnist John DiStaso for the Granite Status — but he did say the Texas governor would add “valuable perspective” to the pool of Republican candidates.

As part of his political networking effort in New Hampshire and Iowa, Perry this week called freshman Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. “Gov. Perry has reached out, but they haven’t spoken yet,” Ayotte spokesman Jeff Grappone told Politico.

Perry got good vibrations from the man Ayotte defeated in the 2010 GOP primary, New Hampshire conservative leader Ovide Lamontagne. After talking to the Texas governor, Lamontagne said Perry is qualified to jump into the “wide open race.”